Perspective
by Eritha
Summary: A look at the events of Advent children through a child's eyes. Marlene's POV
1. Phone Calls

It all began one afternoon.

I was thinking about the events that led up to the present state of the planet. About Sephiroth, Jenova, Shinra, the countless lives that were lost in the battles, and Geostigma…

I was brought back to the world when Denzel asked "Well, Marlene, how does it look?" I looked towards him and saw that the bandage covering Geostigma had fallen off Denzel's head, revealing it. Denzel's Geostigma was a huge black patch on his forehead. The Geostigma was spreading rapidly in Denzel's body. I was so afraid that Denzel would go back to the Lifestream soon. I silently prayed that the Lifestream would not take Denzel away, at least not so soon.

Tifa, Denzel and I were alone in the house. A few days ago, Cloud left us so that he could live alone for no apparent reason. Tifa was washing the dishes in the bar, Seventh Heaven. Suddenly, the phone rang. We, the kids, were not allowed to answer the phone because the adults were afraid that the person on the phone might be a baddie. Denzel and I heard Tifa say something, but we could not hear it clearly. Denzel said "Cloud, where are you?" I think that would be what he wanted to say to Cloud if he was the one who called. Tifa walked slowly up the stairs.

"Hello, Strife delivery service…" Tifa went

"May I ask who is calling?'

"Yep, I remember you."

Tifa talked for another few more minutes.

"Do you want to leave a message for Cloud?"

"Ok, I'll call him"

I heard Tifa put down the phone and calling another person. She was probably calling Cloud.

"Git…" I heard her mutter. Cloud probably turned off his phone again.

She said to the messaging service "You got a call from Reno. He's in Healin. Says he's got work for you…" She paused "Cloud, how have you been?"

Then I heard her slam the phone down angrily and curse, "Son of a Bitch!" In a moment, she was in Denzel's room. She looked kinda guilty. She probably was hoping that we didn't hear her curse, but she yelled it out so loudly that probably the neighbours could hear it too.

"Cloud, didn't pick up his phone?"

Tifa shook her head, answering my question.

She went back downstairs to the bar. This time, I followed her. She sat down, on a chair nearing the table and starting tearing. I didn't know if they were tears of anger or sorrow. I wrapped my arms around her.

"Tifa, Don't cry…"

Tifa held me tight and cried into my shoulder. I have never seen Tifa cry before, and definitely not into somebody's shoulder.

The phone rang again. This time, Tifa ran up the stairs and picked it up.

"Hello, you're Reno right?"

"Ok Ok, I'll pass the message."

She hung up the phone on Reno. Then, she called Cloud again.

"Again?" (Cloud's phone was still turned off)

"Reno called again. He says to hurry, but he sounded kind of strange…Be careful, ok?"

She put down the phone and came downstairs again. Out of curiosity, I asked "Do you know where Cloud is?"

"Maybe I do…"  
Then she asked me if I wanted to go to the church in the slums. I nodded in earnest. I haven't been to the church since the time Papa Brought me there when I was three.

"Ok." Tifa said. Then she yelled.

"Denzel, I'm bringing Marlene out. Take care of yourself, ok?"


	2. Secrets

Author's note: Thanks, foxygirlchan for reviewing! The first chapter was written in err…50minutes and while waiting for my turn in the PSLE oral exam (If you lived in Singapore, you'll know what it is… it's a national examination that decides your future)so naturally, I was nervous. Anyway, I'll try to write slowly for quality's sake.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Final fantasy 7 other than this fic (If I did, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction now)

Tifa slowly opened the worn, brown wooden door of the church. Excited, I ran in. However, when I reached the flowers, I walked slowly, trying not to tread on the flowers. The flowers were special, as no flowers could be seen anywhere else in Midgar or The Edge.

I crouched down and admired the flowers. They were beautiful yellow and white flowers. However, I saw a mat, a kerosene lamp and a wooden box remodeled to be a table beside the field of flowers. Did Cloud live here? If he did, then why did he leave our house to live in this tattered church? Curious, I asked

"Is this where Cloud lives?"

"I guess he does…" replied Tifa

I stood up and walked over slowly to Cloud's 'den'. But, I didn't see the grey box that obstructed my path.

"Ouch!" I cried as I almost tripped over the box. "What's this?" I asked Tifa examining the box. Tifa shook her head. There were still things that Tifa didn't know about Cloud, even though they had lived together for more than a year. Well, I guess Cloud still doesn't trust Tifa enough to reveal to her all of his secrets.

Walking carefully so as not to trip over the box again, I went over to the 'den'. Tifa walked around it, she was probably looking for more secrets that Cloud kept to himself. However, I spotted a couple of ribbons. "Oh my god, I thought, Cloud wears ribbons?" However, after a closer examination, I realized the ribbons were stained with some thing black. They looked kind of familiar. Wait… the black stain looked a little like…GEOSTIGMA? CLOUD HAS GEOSTIGMA?

Shocked, I asked Tifa, hoping she could shed some light on this.

"It's just like Denzel…is Cloud sick?"

"Then, why didn't he say anything?" Apparently, Tifa had no idea too.

"Did he leave because he's sick" I probed.

"He just wants to fight alone…"

"Fight!" Cloud still wants to fight monsters alone even though he had Geostigma? He's mad…

"No, I don't think that he will…" Oh, great. Now Tifa was talking rubbish.

"Tifa…" She turned her head to look at me. I stared at her strangely, hoping she will explain what she was talking about.

"Let's go home, Marlene." What was she talking about? Didn't she want to see Cloud and if he was alright?

"No, we can't! Cloud's not here yet!"

Picking up the bandages, Tifa sighed and said "I know sweetie…I miss him too."

But, if she missed him…why did she want to leave without him in the first place? Was she washing her hands of him?

"So, say he comes back…"

"Then, we'll go home!" Of course, what else were we going to do anyway?

"But not before he…gets a lecture." A lecture, of course! That would teach him to go away again without saying anything!

"Uh' huh!"

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Author's note: There done! Marlene has turned a little OC and her character in this chapter is different from the actual movie. I modeled her on what I would actually think if I were her, but I tried to stay as close as possible to the actual movie script. Next update in a few days!


	3. Fighting

**A/N:** Yeah, this chapter is probably be the most difficult to write. I actually had it written by last year-end, but I didn't manage to type it out and upload it. It was quite an emotional rollercoaster ride writing this chapter cause it was written by me in many emotions, happy, sad, depressed. I was actually thinking of discontinuing this fic cause I was really it no mood for writing. But I was motivated again by someone to write a new chapter. So yeah, this was the end product. Enjoy and please review!

**Disclaimer: _Everything _belongs to Square **

* * *

We had been waiting for a few hours already, yet Cloud still hasn't turned up. Was he just trying to avoid us? I could tell Tifa was getting impatient already. 

Suddenly, I heard the door of the church open. As I started to run towards it, Tifa held me by the shoulder and held me back. In front of us was a tall, big, silver-haired man. Tifa and I retreated, to the point where we could feel the crumbling stone walls of the ruined church.

"Wanna play?" the tall stranger asked me. I didn't answer for I was struck with fear and that Tifa had taught me never to talk to strangers." He didn't look very friendly anyway. I was absolutely terrified by then. His deep, cold voice sent shivers down my spine. I held on to Tifa even more tightly than ever.

"I guess that's a no…where's mother?" What was he talking about? My mother had gone back to the planet, just like big sister Aerith…unless…he shared the same mother as I did. I gasped as I tried to imagine this man as my brother.

As the man looked at the flowers and exclaimed, "Gross…" and held his nose. Even in my terror, I was outraged. How could he say that such beautiful things were "gross"?

"Hey, where's mother!"

"There's no one here" Tifa shouted back

"Fine, play with me."

As Tifa pushed me to the side, I crouched behind a stone column in fear, I saw Tifa wear her gloves and get into a fighting stance. Did this mean that they were going to fight? I thought said Tifa wouldn't fight anymore, she promised me…

As the two of them started a fight, I was really afraid. I had never seen two adults fight before…I thought fighting each other was only something the orphans did in the streets of Edge as they fought over scraps. I really wanted to stop them, and break them up. Yet, I was so small and insignificant. I could only stand by watch them fight.

Finally, Tifa won the battle when she threw the man down in mid air. Tifa looked around, to see if he had brought any "friends". I couldn't hold it back any longer. I was so glad that Tifa was all right.

"Tifa!"

Tifa looked at me and smiled. She stooped down as she prepared to receive the hug that I had readied for her…a shrill little tune was playing. It sounded like Fanfare, the victory music that played whenever I won a game a scissors, paper and stone in a video game. Despite my peers liking that game, I found that it was a childish and immature game with no purpose. Tifa and I wondered. Was he already unconscious? Would he get up? Suddenly, the silver-haired man blew away the pieces of wood from the pews that he was covered in and he reached for his phone and picked it up. I felt Terror's hand clutching onto me again. Yet, I couldn't help but giggle. This man played childish games. I couldn't believe it.

"Hello……I am _not _crying!"

Whenever I missed my papa, I would cry in my bed after I was tucked in. Everytime it happened, Denzel would comfort me, but he always teased me about it the next morning. This grown man had crying problems too?

"No, I got it. I'll bring the girl." The girl? Was he referring to me?

"Where were we?"


End file.
